Conventional methods for the manufacture of tire tread include a multiple step, non-continuous process. Typically, a rubber strip having a desired cross-sectional profile is extruded from a rubber-based formulation that is referred to herein as rubber or a rubber material. The rubber material typically includes a variety of components such as functional elastomers, resins, carbon black fillers, non-carbon black fillers, and/or other substances. As part of the extrusion process, the rubber is heated and fluidized. Pressure from the extruder screw forces the rubber through a die on the extruder outlet that imparts the desired profile to the rubber strip. For example, the strip may be flat, have tapered sides, and include one or more ribs extending along its length. The extruded rubber strip is then wound and stored. Heat energy from extrusion process is usually lost as the rubber cools during the subsequent handling and storage.
In order to apply a tread pattern, the rubber strip is unwound, cut to length, and positioned as separate pieces into a mold. Placement of each strip onto the mold requires carefully positioning each piece into the mold individually. Such placement may be performed in a manually intensive process that requires movement of the relatively heavy rubber strips. As part of the molding process, each rubber strip is reheated in the mold in order to cure the rubber and facilitate the molding of tread features into the rubber strip.
The resulting strips of tread rubber are then removed from the mold. Again, this may be performed manually. Each strip of tread rubber may then be stored again until it is applied to a tire carcass. Joining the tread strip with the tire carcass can require additional heating for completing the curing process and affixing the tire to the carcass.
Such conventional, non-continuous processing for creating the tread is inefficient. The loss of heat energy after extrusion means additional energy expense must be incurred in order to reheat the rubber for subsequent molding and curing. The storage and handling of the rubber in between extrusion and molding adds additional expense in the form of labor and space. Additionally, heating the same rubber strip multiple times requires careful temperature control over specific time periods in order to ensure the proper overall amount of curing is achieved.
Accordingly, a system for the extrusion, molding, and curing of rubber to manufacture tread for tires would be useful. A system that can reduce or eliminate storage and reheating of the rubber between extrusion and molding would be beneficial. Such a system that can perform these operations continuously would be particularly useful.